Noah, my adopted son, after getting his hair cut from his sister Alicia.  Alicia is a licensed beautician. 

The Story

Saturday AM  The urge to write the story was strong.  The words came in a clear, concise manner.  Jotting down every detail like a painter with a brush, I wrote the strange and weird story.  Little did I know that later that night I would be rushing home to get that story that was now on paper. 

Saturday PM  I went to the prayer service.  The numbers were small but it was a good time of prayer.  Towards the end a lady came through the back door.  My pastor and his wife went to talk to her.  She was distraught so they asked her to go in a back room so they could talk to her in privacy.  Five minutes into their conversation I was asked to join.  As I listened to the ladies story, shock came to me. 

I asked to be excused because I needed to run home and get something.  My heart was beating as I ran into my house and grabbed ”the story”. 

When I got back to the church I explained “The Story”.  Pastor Jeff asked me to read it. 

It went something like this:  I was deep in sorrow and despair as I walked down the dark road.  My lover, who was the same sex as I was, had just left me.  Now I wanted to leave this earth.  I made the plans. I knew the destination that would end the pain.  I would jump off the bridge into the river below and end everything.  The walk, the long walk in darkness was disrupted by a shining light.  The light kept calling to me and at first I wanted to walk past it but I couldn’t.  I was drawn to it, so to it I would go. 

I read the story and the lady had to sit down.  It was her story.  Her lesbian lover had just left her.  She was headed to the Missouri River in order to commit suicide.  Pastor Jeff softly told her that Jesus loved her and knew her situation.  She  conceded that was the case. 

The lady now has a new story;  a story that’s written down in glory.  She gave her heart to Jesus that night. 

Appearing from the unseen, narrow eye viewed his next victim.  Unable to move, he watched.  He would stir if his plan worked. 
The bait, a thought planted in the garden of deceit.  Like an arrow it shot.  Beauty to the human eye. 

Joe was jogging in the park when a weird sense came over him.  A battle began to rage inside him.  As he came upon the intersection he looked briefly to his left – a pretty one.

Narrow eye had hope fill his being.  His plan was working.  The human took the first look.

Joe’s eye back on the road felt a small inclination to stop.  He’d listen to the small voice before but another voice was screaming for him to continue and look at the female.  Instinctively he listened to the voice he trusted.  As he did unseen shafts of light began to shoot through his being as he stood and watched the speeding car go by.  Mr. Lust was gone.   He addressed the lady, but this time  he saw her true beauty.  An inner sense of “well done” filled him.  

Narrow eyed defeated, stopped interrupting the driver of the car.  The plan of the vehicle hitting Joe had failed.  Joe would live another day.

Stay tuned – for tomorrow I’ll tell a real life and death story.  Do you have a story to tell in why it’s important to stay pure in heart?

You’re talking to a group of  people when all of a sudden you look around for your friends.  You can’t find them.  You look in different places only to discover they’re gone.  You run out to the parking lot only to see the van with all your friends in it driving down the road.  You feel so lonely, so hurt. You’re all alone.  I wonder how God feels when you leave him all alone and drive off without him.  

The pain was real, the darkness thick.  He walked slowly, guided by his inner feeling.  The gnawing discomfort wouldn’t subside.  The ache continued to grow drowning the regret.  Cover upon cover, layer upon layer.  Years streamed by as his paced slowed.  His hand over his heart, his back beginning to arch.  Strength turned to weakness.  His knees began to buckle.  His thoughts, more clouded as every ounce of his effort wasn’t enough.  Then his eyes closed and his soul.  -comma-     His eyes opened to a new world.  The pain increased.  Regret screamed from every corner.  Shooting streams of pain came to him disguised as a familiar word.  Yes, it was familiar, it was his words that he spoke in his lifetime.  Why did it hurt?  Terror – Everything was more real here.  Nightmares beyond description.  Then there was the appearance of the one he knew as “The Son of Man”.  His knees went down but there was no relief.  He saw the tears in his Creators eyes.  Wait, Wait he said as the Great One turned and walked away – forever…………      

Death is a comma, not a period.  A thought has come to me;  I get to die only once.  (I don’t look at death morbidly but through the eyes of life.)  I want this life to have meaning and purpose.  When it does then death will have meaning and purpose.  Why talk about death?  Because it’s inevitable and foreseeable.  Death is not dark.  It’s full of light.  I want to live here as long as possible but I’m also excited to have a comma put in my life.  Life is a sentence.  The Judge will execute this sentence:  Not Guilty or Guilty.  Jesus or no Jesus

What do you want to be said at your funeral? 

May the Force be with you.    With all seriousness set aside let’s look at Star Wars in a new light.  Let’s take lines from Star Wars and transfer it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

“I seek an audience with your greatness, oh Heavenly Father, to plead for Solo’s safety.” -Luke Skywalker

“I find your lack of lust disturbing”. -Darth Vader

“This isn’t the true plan you’re looking for.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi

“Between his warfare and your spiritual blasing everything in sight, it’s a wonder the whole station doesn’t know Him.”  – Luke Skywalker

“I recognized his presence when I was brought on board.” – Princess Leia

“A tremor in my spirit.  The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.” – Darth Vader

“The blast came from the underworld.  That place is operational!”  -Lando Calrissian

“Governor Tarkin.  I should have expected to find you in prayer.”  – Princess Leia

“Looks like someone’s beginning to take an interest in your message.” – Han Solo

“Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your soul.” – Darth Vader

“Someone must have told them all about my little miracle at the battle of Taamah”. – Lando Calrissian

“We have no choice, General Calrissian.  Our cruisers can’t repel the darkness of that magintude.  We need Heavenly backup”.  – Admiral Ackbar

“I think my soul is getting better.  Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.” – Han Solo

“We need some fresh supplies too. And try to get our joy back.” – Han Solo

“Lost loved ones souls, Master Obi Wan has. How embarrassing….How embarrassing.”  -Yoda

I had an interesting thing happen to me when I first entered the Navy.  I was stationed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk.  I was a very naive young man.  I was from a small town and didn’t know anything about anything concerning cities.  Every weekend I would go to down town San Diego.     I found that there were certain ladies on the corners that wanted to talk.  So I would stop and listen to them.  It wasn’t the kind of conversation you would think.  I heard about their brothers and sisters, moms and dads.  As you probably already figured out these ladies were prostitutes, but I didn’t know that at the time.   I also discovered they sought out what they thought was pure.  Never once did they solicit. 
People put on all kinds of masks.  Some masks are tough looking.  Others cover up their true identity with language:  f… this and f… that.  But I think deep down under the surface everyone wants purity.  What is purity?  The truest being with nothing attached.  There is only One like that.    

How weak is your heart?  What a question.  I was thinking about that yesterday as I was traveling to training.  The realization came to me that I had the possibility of going blind.  Not physically but spiritually.  I thought of Samson.  He was on top of his game plan.   Yet, his heart was weak.  His devotion was divided.  He was taken prisoner and his eyes gouged out.  He was blinded.  Why?  It happened slowly.  Did you know you can fry a frog if you slowly turn up the heat?  What’s happening slowly in your life?  What are you allowing today that you didn’t allow yesterday?  I’m going to get a spiritual eye exam by the Master Physician.  He’s going to search my heart and tell me if my heart is for him or another.   Eze 16:30

Here’s a blog I found: Life in Iraq through a young persons eyes.